James Wade

Name: James Wade

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Grade: 12th

School: Aurora High School

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, writing, video games, internet browsing, amateur boxing, science fiction, cycling.

Appearance: 5'11, and weighing in at 168 pounds, James is fairly well-built, being in decent physical condition for his age. He possesses well-muscled legs from hours of cycling. His skin is quite pale, however, as a result of spending the majority of his time indoors, giving him a slightly sickly appearance at times. James' most distinguishing feature is his dark brown, curly hair, which extends just past his shoulders, often making him easy to pick out of a crowd. It is often left uncombed, giving him a rather unkempt appearance. Though it is often swept back, it has a habit of falling into place again, partially obscuring James' vision and being a constant source of annoyance. His hair remains uncut largely due to his laziness in taking care of it.

James has rather large, bright blue eyes. His face is slightly rounded, with a small, straight nose and a few freckles. He has quite thin, narrow eyebrows that give him a rather bored look. Also, his near-constant deadpan expression is often misinterpreted as a frown by some. He is also rather near-sighted due to having amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, affecting his right eye.

James dresses fairly simply as he cares very little about any particular brands of styles on his clothes, generally preferring comfort over clothing that is considered popular. He prefers dark, long-sleeved t-shirts, often one size above his own, with a hoodie and simple blue jeans, accompanied by a pair of plain sneakers. To compensate for his eyesight, he also wears a pair of small, square-framed glasses. On the day of his abduction, James was wearing a plain black shirt, a white hooded top, a pair of worn yet comfortable belted blue jeans, and a new pair of black sneakers.

Biography: Born to Elena and Marco Wade, in Manchester, England, James was the middle child, with two brothers, Chris and Jake, being three years older and two years younger than him respectively. He spent his formative years growing up in the city, attending nursery school while his parents worked to make ends meet. James was a quick learner, being taught to read by his mother at a young age, picking things up much faster than his two siblings. By the age of six, he was able to read quite well. He did not see much of his father, who worked very long hours as an employee at a large manufacturing corporation. From a young age, he was pampered by relatives, his elderly great-aunts in particular. As such, he developed a somewhat selfish streak that showed while interacting with other children and would get in trouble often for his treatment of others at the hands of his mother. This was something that had happened to his older brother, and would carry on with his younger brother.

He did have a much better relationship with his mother, a school teacher, who was able to spend much more time with him and his brothers while growing up. By the time he finally got into his kindergarten at the age of five, with stricter rules than he was used to, a uniform, scheduled lessons and a sense of discipline, his behaviour changed, becoming much more obedient and polite than before. This was largely due to the fact that he would be actually punished for his misdeeds there rather than being let off or being shown more leniency due to his young age. It was shortly after coming to school that James suffered from his first panic attack, finding it initially difficult to adjust to this new environment. Worried for his health, his parents took him to a doctor where they were assured that these attacks were largely due to James' own anxiety and that he would simply grow out of them eventually. James was able to settle well into his school after a few weeks after the initial shock of a different environment from his kindergarten, the attacks becoming less frequent there.

Encouraged by his parents, James took to reading various books, having a particular affinity for fantasy works. His love for fiction is something that carried on well into his teens. While beginning with rather simple books, he would later move on to more famous novels in his early teens, including the works of JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, and various others. These would become his favourite authors, the world of fantasy and reading in general becoming very appealing to James as a form of escapism from the world around him in addition to giving him inspiration for his own stories. By the age of eighteen his reading preferences still remained largely within fantasy settings, James having gotten into George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series at this time. He would often idolise the fictional heroes within these books as he read, like many children of his age. Even in later years, he would often keep up with reading in his spare time at home or when he had a chance at school. His younger sibling, Jake, followed in his footsteps, though the older Chris was much more active, preferring sports to quiet reading. While at school, James found himself making many acquaintances, but few friends. Those whom he did befriend, however, being three boys with similar interests in his class, James became quite attached and loyal almost to a fault.

At the age of nine, for a school project, he wrote his first story, a ten-page work of fantasy that, though based largely on a game he had played, earned him an award in an assembly before the whole school. This proved to be a vital moment in James' life, the point at which he made the decision to become a writer. His success and relative fame within his own school did not last long however, as his father revealed that they would be moving to the United States of America.

This came as a shock to James, though no amount of pleading, crying and even one of his panic attacks over the situation could dissuade his father He had been offered a much, much better-paid job overseas by the multinational corporation he worked for as part of a promotion to a mid-level executive. Being given a few weeks remaining while his father's employers sorted out his visa, with plans on gaining American citizenship, the family began to pack up their things in preparation for leaving England. James watched in horror as most of their possessions were slowly moved out of the family home and shipped off abroad. His mother, who had been informed of the move beforehand, was upset, doing her best to comfort her children of their concerns. Aware of his family's concerns, particularly James' anger at the situation, his father assured them that most of the paperwork had been taken care of, including the rent of a small house in Seattle, Washington. He said his goodbyes to his friends and relatives before embarking with his immediate family on a trip to what was for him a foreign land.

After a long trip, James' family settled in Seattle, Washington. He and his brothers were quickly enrolled in local schools. He initially found it very difficult to fit in, his accent being something that singled him out in the class. He found himself bullied by others in his class for some time, though he strove to ignore it, not wishing to cause any trouble. His quiet nature at school was a prompt for several others to start pushing him around. This would lead to a few of his panic attacks at home out of his fear of the bullies, though he did attempt to hide them from his parents for some time. He did his best to suppress these feelings while at school, often asking to be excused to the restroom if he felt one coming on. When he did confide in his older brother regarding the bullies, his parents were informed of the situation. His father, who could spent a greater deal of time at home due to his new, largely bureaucratic position within the corporation, ended up going to the school to complain. Though the bullying lessened, James was quite embarrassed by the whole affair, afraid of becoming known as a crybaby, among other insulting nicknames by others because of his father's actions. He was surprised that after his father's intervention, there were no repercussions from his tormentors, finding himself largely left alone at school for some time.

Being a rather shy person as he entered his early teens, James found himself turning to online gaming and the internet for social interaction. He would often play games like Counter-Strike or Halo, often speaking to his online friends there more than he did to his peers at school. James, like many others, also used social sites such as Facebook to interact with others, often conversing with his old friends from England there. He occasionally joined a few online gaming forums to watch and contribute to discussions there that interested him. By the age of thirteen, he struggled to maintain average grades and became something of a procrastinator in regards to schoolwork and chores at home. In contrast, his brothers had an easier time fitting in as both of them possessed quite a friendly nature compared to James, becoming accepted into the fold much quicker than he was.

He would often stay up all night browsing the web, looking at websites he found funny, watching videos, and reading through various articles and reviews on video games to pass the time. He eventually started to use social networking sites, trying to keep in touch with his friends back home in England, though being away for so long had distanced him from them. James was still quite angry at his father's decision to leave the country several years before. The large amount of time spent indoors on his computer would contribute to James' lowering grades and developing lazy nature. It was also rather detrimental to his physical appearance at the time, as James gained dark bags beneath his eyes as a result. His parents became concerned over this after several months, and would often crack down on his late night online sessions, either by taking his computer away or disconnecting the router. This quickly became the source of many arguments in which James found himself at odds with his mother and father. These arguments would often lead to James retreating to his room, occasionally suffering a panic attack and having to be calmed down.

Likewise, during this period James and his brothers would spend a great deal of time playing on their Xbox, many hours being devoted to levelling up in online first person shooters between the three. James would often be the one playing role playing games purchased by his older brother, who had a part-time job. His choice of games would often be those of a fantasy setting such as Dragon Age or The Elder Scrolls. A great deal of time was spent alone building his characters whenever he could get his brothers off the machine. Many of his virtual characters would form the basis for those in his later stories, these worlds eventually inspiring him to create his own.

By the age of fifteen, however, many people James knew had matured past the age of meaningless bullying. Several others would actually make an effort to connect to him. He was quite surprised to find that a few people in his new high school with shared interests such as video games or certain films, earning him his first few friends after years of being a loner. James, who had developed low self-esteem and a cynical streak, began to warm to those around him in the school, many actually liking his dry wit and humour. While he was indeed a solitary person for the most part, James was seen as rather funny by the few that spoke to him at school. His occasional attempt at a joke or interaction surprised his classmates when it did occur; James usually being surprised at their positive reactions to the things he said. This new development in his life was a welcome change as his grades improved slightly with his general outlook on life becoming a little more positive as time went by. While not the centre of attention, and still somewhat shy in spite of his new found friendship, James was happy for the first time in a while. This led to him turning his attention towards writing again, something that he had all but abandoned upon his journey to the US.

At first, this did not go much beyond short stories on a few video game-based fan fiction sites, largely those based around video games he enjoyed such as Halo or Dragon Age. He enjoyed this greatly, often writing adventure-based stories starring characters of his own design. It may not have been much, but to James, it was a start, at the very least. James would often spend his writing time alternating between science fiction and fantasy, coming up with stories based in these game worlds. After posting a few short fan fiction stories on these sites, he was met with a decent amount of positive reviews, something that inspired him to begin planning his own original stories with the intent on becoming a professional writer in the future. James preferred to keep his fanfic writing private, however, for fear of being ostracised by his peers if they found out.

On his sixteenth birthday, James' parents bought him a new mountain bike, having noticed that he was spending a great deal of time indoors, and was gaining weight as a result of the inactivity. By this point, he took to riding whenever possible in his local area, starting with simple trips around his neighbourhood before moving towards longer journeys with no real direction. On these often solitary long journeys, he would head into rural areas, away from the noise of the city he lived in. Having grown up in two different cities, James relished his trips to more rural areas, particularly the peace and quiet he could have there away from his family. These trips began a few weeks after he received his bike, occurring at least two or three times a month. He enjoyed the freedom that it brought him after living a relatively sheltered life before. James usually made solitary trips, preferring to remain alone while cycling in spite of his brothers offering to join him.

It was around this time that he decided to take up boxing at a local gym, a relatively popular sport locally. James' parents gave their consent after some pleading, agreeing to pay for his gym membership until he got himself a job. Much to his surprise, he was actually quite good at it, and saw boxing as a way of venting his frustrations. While his instructor was impressed with the young man's talent, James wished to keep it at an amateur level; something of a hobby to do in his free time. James would head down to train three or four times a week after school on his bike.

Not wanting to stand out a great deal in school, James rarely spoke of his hobbies to others. His unassuming and quiet nature towards many others there endearing him to some, much to his own surprise. James was known for acting as something of a bystander to most events, while never quite being in the forefront of things. This is in great contrast with his brothers, Chris and Jake, both of whom being much more extroverted individuals, the former often encouraging James to speak up more before his departure to college. His parents, Marco and Elena, would also try to encourage James to open up to others and work harder in school. James' relationship with them had improved a great deal since his arrival in the US, having long since forgiven his father as they settled into their new home. He would often go to him for advice on things instead of his mother. Their family generally gets on quite well, with few financial worries as both parents work full time. James' mother had found work at a local library, occasionally bringing books home for her sons to read. In spite of a few petty family arguments, James gets on very well with his brothers, though they do have distinct differences in personalities. He often speaks to Chris, who attends college, online and takes advice from his older brother regarding things such as school work. As the eldest brother currently at home, James does try to look out for Jake in any way he can, though his younger sibling becomes annoyed it this. After a couple of fights, James left Jake on his own, though he does keep a discreet eye on him.

James does, for the most part, say and do very little, very rarely standing out from the norm in public. He generally follows the most popular opinion at the time on most matters or is quite apathetic regarding things that would concern his peers in high school. Though he does act friendly towards his peers in school, James does harbour a few negative thoughts about those around him, particularly those who are considered as more popular than him, and often for very petty reasons. He dislikes people who he perceives as unintelligent or vapid in nature, though James would never publicly insult them. He does genuinely appreciate the kindness he has been shown by a few of the other students, particularly those who have been trying to get him to come out of his shell in recent years. He sees his own shyness in these matters as a great personal shortcoming, and is quite jealous of the more extroverted people in his school for the most part. James does for the most part play the role of someone who is quite calm and collected in front of others. In reality, he is very self-conscious about many things, something that contributes to his occasional panic attacks. Rather minor details such as his appearance and what people think of him and his lack of a girlfriend are sources of these self-deprecating feelings.

James has been subject to panic attacks for a number of years, beginning not long after he began to attend school in England. These are usually caused by anxiety or stress over sometimes trivial matters, such as exams, school trips and so on. For example, his family move to the US caused a spate of attacks, having to be constantly reassured by his parents until they had arrived. While these do not occur often, the attacks do debilitate him for a little while, James being unwilling to move from where he is for a few minutes at least. In the past, his friends or family were usually around to calm him down and reassure him while he suffers an attack. When alone, James usually attempts to reassure himself in after a while, becoming hesitant to move very far for some time. These attacks are not particularly severe, and so he has not undergone any form of treatment for them. This is largely due to the fact that these are psychological, James making it clear that he would get over them himself, being rather embarrassed of the attacks.

In spite of the fact that he has few friends in high school, James generally enjoys it there, spending a great amount of time within the library in particular. James obtains B-C grades on average. His parents often insist that he could do better if he simply tried harder and concentrated in all of his lessons, rather than just those he liked, such as English and History. After leaving school, he intends on applying for a student visa in order to attend the University of Washington in order to study Literature, with the intent of one day becoming a published author of fiction.

Advantages: James' rather quiet nature may cause others to underestimate his capabilities greatly. As far as actual fighting goes, he may be able to use his boxing skills to quickly overpower weaker foes before they can fight back.

Disadvantages: Though he can function without his glasses to some extent, losing them will greatly impair his vision at distances longer than a few feet away. Also, James is very likely to suffer from one of his panic attacks, considering the situation they have been placed in.

Designated Number: Male Student No. 073

---

Designated Weapon: Clue Board Game

Conclusion: Everyone gets one weapon, but this young man gets a bunch! There's rope, a candle stick, a revolver, a lead pipe. If he comes across any miniature people he'll be a killing machine. - Abby Soto

'The above biography is as written by LordB. No edits or alterations to the author's original work have been made.'

Evaluations
Handled by: LordB

Kills:

Killed By:

Collected Weapons: Clue Board Game (designated weapon)

Allies: Kathryn Nguyen, Veronica McDonald

Enemies:

Mid-game Evaluation:

Post-Game Evaluation:

Memorable Quotes:

Threads
Below is a list of threads that contain James, in chronological order.

The Past:

Pre-Game:

V5:
 * Oh Dear
 * Wandering
 * Dead End
 * The Usual Suspects
 * Burnout
 * The Best Part of Waking Up
 * Respite
 * Dry Oasis

Your Thoughts
''Whether you were a fellow handler in SOTF or just an avid reader of the site, we'd like to know what you thought about James Wade. What did you like, or dislike, about the character? Let us know here!''